Cato the Cat.

It is not the years in your life but the life in your years that counts

He was raised by the mother of my neighbour. When she passed they could not take him as they already had a cat, so they asked me. I had been condsidering a cat anyway so after a few days deliberation I agreed to take him in. Already having a catflap made the choice easier.     His very first evening, Sat 6th Aug 2011. He is very confident in his new home.       Settled in very quickly.     I kept him indoors for a few days to acclimatise and then let him out into the garden for the first time. Slightly concerned that he might run off so I stayed nearby. Absolutely nothing to worry about, he stayed right by me for the duration and came back I when I called.                     Various mugshots - a very handsome boy.     He could sleep anyhow, anywhere..     He liked tea and I was always having to drag him off my cuppa.   A big boy. Rather heavy on the lap though.   Boys have one hole, girls have two and ex-boys have three.                         Like most cats he was a champion sleeper and would often want to be touching me as he drifted off.       Rubbing his left ear always got the blep..

He loved the catnip mice I bought him from the petshop in town, usually ripping the tail off immediately. He also hunted rats and rabbits in the surrounding fields and gardens - at least this one was finished outside rather than on the only decent rug I own. Then in April 2017 he stopped eating at his normal rate. Bad breath as well so I was worried about his teeth and booked him into the vet for 4pm to get them checked. The vet discovered his kidneys were enlarged and ran some tests, his blood work showed abnormal results so an ultrascan was done. This showed multiple cysts on both his kidneys, they had pretty much shutdown and the reason for his bad breath was the amount of waste still in his blood. So at 6.30pm, the hard choice was made and the drug administered. He feel asleep in my arms - his head just dropped forward and he was gone.   Still a handsome boy even when cold in his grave.   Buried in his blanky with a catnip mouse, some treats and his favourite blue duster that he used as a surrogate girlfriend..   Wildflower seeds on the grave, I hope they make a suitable display later.

Farewell Cato the cat, 2017.04.19.
You made my house our home.

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